Camera construction



Jan. 5, 1937. c. c. FUERST -CAMERA CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 25, 1935 INVENTOR: v

fm2/1 i A'I"I`ORNEYS.v

Patented Jan. 1937 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE CAMERA CONSTRUCTION Jersey Application October 25, 1935, Serial No. 46,768

11 Claims.

This invention relates to photography, and more particularly to collapsible folding cameras. One object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive folding camera adapted to be made ofi moldable material. Another object of my invention is to provide a camera construction permitting two relatively movable parts to ltelescope a sufiicient distance so that an objective of relatively long local length may be employed.. Another ob- ]0 ject of my invention is to provide a satisfactory latching mechanism by which the camera parts may be accurately and definitely held in a picturetaking position. Another object of my invention is to provide a camera with an exposure frame so shaped that the maximum movement is obtalnable by the relatively movable parts of the camera. Still another object of my invention is to provide a camera which can be readily made of moldable parts-and in which the parts are so arranged that they may be easily assembled and held in assembled relation and other obiects will appear from the following specification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

Coming now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a camera constructed in accordance with and embodying s. preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 isa section taken on line 2--2 of Figure 1, with the camera parts in a collapsible or folded position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the camera shown in Figure 1, but with a small portion broken away 35 and shown in section. Y

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of `the latch mechanism used in the camera shown` in the preceding ligure, and

Figure 5 is a plan view oi the exposure frame and associated parts with the rest of the camera.

broken away.

In accordance with my inventiomI may provide a camera having a body portion, supporting a collapsible portion or camera front 2 and a removable camera back 3. The camera body I may be provided with a front wall I having an annular extension 5, including a threaded opening l lor the reception ot a threaded tubular extension 1, forming a part of the camera front 2.

Extending rearwardly from the front wall l are walls l and l which denne parts of the spool .nambers III and II. These spool chambers may be provided with the usual nlm spool supportsthat is. chamber Il may be provided with a winding key I2 which is ailixed to the winding knob I3 on the outside of the camera. and spool chamber il may be provided 'with a notch l for supporting a lm spool trunnion.

The camera back 3 includes walls which have a. tongue and groove connection as indi- 3 cated across the ends at I6 and il, with the grooved ends I8 and I9 of the camera body. Thus, a light tight connection is formed between the camera body and back.

The camera back is provided with a pair oi posts 2t and 2l, adapted to hold spool trunnions in the spool chambers in a lmown manner.

Qn the camera body i connecting the walls and 9, are a pair of side Walls 22 and 23, these walls are best indicated in Figure 5, being considerably heavier than the end walls t and t. The walls 8, 9, 22 and 23 denne a box-like strucw ture which encloses the threaded tubular member l, when the camera is in a folded position as shown in Figure 2. l

In order to obtain a maximum clearance in the camera. body, there are similar arcuate cutout portions 24 forming recesses in each of the side walls 22 and 23, the purpose of these cutout portions being to permit the circular plate 25 to move back and forth as the threaded memy ber l is screwed into and out of the threaded opening 6 in the camera body. In addition, clearance is obtained by providing similar curved rails 26, which are of comparatively thin material and .which bridge over the arcuate recesses 24, to form side members defining the exposure apertures designated broadly as 28. The rails `2li may be attached to the walls 22 and 23 by screws 2l as shown. 35

It should be noted that the top surfaces of the rails 26 are arcuate or curved, closely following the curvature of the camera back 3. 'I'his has two advantages. First, the 111m is curved to more nearly correspond with the eld of the simple type lens used with this camera, and second, it gives more space in the camera body beneath the exposure frame 28 for the camera extension 1 to move into.

It is necessary to hold the camera front 2 rigidly in an operative or picture-taking position as shown in FigureS. In order to do this,y I have attached the plate 25, by means of screws 29 to the tubular threaded member 1. This plate is provided with a V-shaped notch 30, as best shown 50 in Figure 4, and I have provided a hook member 3| on the end of a spring 32 to engage this notch, the notch 30 and the hook 3i forming a latch adapted to hold the parts rigidly in position.

The spring arm 32 may be attached to the 55 camera by means of the flange 33 through which screws 34 may pass.

It should be noted that the lower part of the hook 3i is provided with bevelled edge 35, forming a cam surface. The object of this cam surface is as follows:

When the threaded "5 is in the position shown in Figure 2, the ottorn edge 38 of the hook may ride along the to of the threaded area, the width of the hooi; the bottom edge 36 being preferably somewhat greater than the distance between two of the threads on the carnera front 2. When, however, the camera front 2 has nearly reached the position shown in Figure 3, the latch may be cammed up on the periphery 3'1 of plate 25, on which. the latch will ride until the notch 30 is reached, at which. place the hook will drop down into the notch and definitely locate the plate in position. This preferably occurs when the plate rests against the front wall d of the camera body and when so latched in its operative position the camera is -rigidly extended and will be held against movement.

While the shutter structure itself forms no part of the present invention and is enclosed in the front portion of the camera front 2, I have found it desirable to utilize a trigger 40 for the shutter which is adapted to turn in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 1 to make an exposure. The reason for this is that the direction of rotation of the camera front relative to thecamera body on the threads 6 and 'I is in the same direction that the trigger is turned to make an exposure. Consequently, when an exposure is made, the tendency to turn the camera front 2 by means of pressure on the trigger will only tend to more tightly lock the camera front in its extended position. Whereas, if the shutter trigger should be made to operate in an opposite direction, there might be some tendency to release the spring latch 3| which holds the camera front in an extended position.

I preferably serrate or roughen the edge 4| of the camera front 2 so that it may be readily turned to collapse the camera body and to p0- sition the front for taking pictures more readily.

lThe camera may also be provided with a latch member 42 for holding the camera back on the body and with a usual type of finder I3 which may fold flat in a recess 45 in a side wall of the camera. The camera front 2 may also carry an objective 44 in the usual manner.

I am aware that cameras have been previously suggested in which the camera front may move on one or more threaded extensions relative to the camera body for positioning the parts for taking pictures, and do not claim this structure broadly, but only as defined in the following claims,

Having now described my invention what I desire to secure Letters Patent of the United States and what claim is:

In a folding camera., the combination with a camera body including a threaded aperture in a front `wall thereof, of a notched movable camera front including a threaded extension adapted to screw in the threaded aperture of the camera body, a spring latch mounted on the camera body adjacent the threaded aperture therein and adapted to engage the notch of the movably mounted camera front to hold said front in a predetermined position.

2. In a folding camera, the combination with camera body including a threaded aperture in a frontwall thereof, of a notched movable camera front including a. threaded extension adapted to screw in the threaded aperture of the camera body, a spring latch mounted on the inside of the front wall of the camera body and adapted to engage the notch of the movably mounted camera front to hold said front in a predetermin position.

3. In a folding camera, the combination with a camera body, including a threaded aperture in a front wall thereof, cf a threaded front member adapted to be screwed into the threaded body, t. flange on the front member limiting its movement with respect to the body in one direction, a latch carried by the camera body and adapted to engage said flange when said front is in a predetermined position, co-operating Pitl 0n the latch and flange being adapted to retain the front in. a pre-determined position.

4. In a folding camera, the combination with a camera body, including a threaded aperture in a front wall thereof, of a. threaded front member adapted to be screwed into the threaded body, a flange on the front member limiting its movement with respect to the body in one direction, a latch carried by the camera body adapted to engage the flange, a notch in the flange for rcoeiving the latch member, and means for camming the latch up on the flange before it reaches the notch.

5. In a folding camera, the combination with a camera body, including a threaded aperture in a front wall thereof, of a threaded front member adapted to be screwed into the threaded body. a ange on the .front member limiting its movement with respect to the body in one direction. alatchcarriedby thecamerabodylncludinga hook member and a cam surface, laid me including a notch adapted to be engaged by the hook for podtioning the camera front relative to the camera body, said camera front me when turned on the threaded connection between the camera front and body being adapted to engage the cam surface on the hook to elm it up on the periphery of the flange, whereby it may drop down into the notch to hold the parts in a pre-determined position.

6. In a folding camera, the combination with a camera body having a threaded aperture in a front wall thereof, of a camera front movsbly mounted on the camera body and carrying a thread adapted to engage the threaded opening ofthe camera body, a frame carried by the camera body including side walls adapted to support side members defining the exposure area.

arcuate recesses in the side walls between which the threaded camera front may move, said side members comprising plates attached to said side walls and spanning the arcuate recesses forming the sides cf the exposure frame.

7. In a folding camera, the combination with a camera body having a threaded aperture in a front wall thereof, of a camera front movably mounted on the camera body and carrying a thread adapted to engage the threaded opening of the camera body, a frame carried by the camera body including four walls Vextending rearwardly from the camera body and enclosing the threaded aperture therein, at least two of the walls including.V facing arcuate r between which the threaded camera front may move, and plates covering the arcuate recesses and forming with two of the four walls a frame denning an exposure area.

8. In a folding camera, the combination with u.

body including four walls aperture therein. at least twoo! the walls including racing arcuate recesses between which the threaded camera iront may move. and plates covering the arcuate recesses and forming with two oi the tour walls a frame dening an exposure frame, said plates bein: curved and of thin material whereby a vrelatively large movement of the camera front relative to the camera body can take place.

9. In a ioldlng'camera. the combination with acamerabodyhavingathreadedaperturein a iront wall thereof, oi a camera front movably mounted on the camera body and includingA a threaded tubular member adapted to screw into the threaded aperture in the camera body said tubular member including a iront tace extending out beyond the threaded tubular member torming one iiange. an apertured plate carried by the opposite end oi the tubular member extend# ing beyond the threaded tubular member forming a dange therewith, whereby the threaded areas-on the camera and'tubular member permit thecamerapartetomovetoapicturotaking the threaded aperture in the camera body. danses on each end o! the threaded tubular member ot greater diameter than the tubular member for 'limiting the movement of the threaded tubular member in two directions. a latch element on the camera body and a latch element .on a frange adapted to engage and hold the parts in a picture taking position.

11. In a folding camera. the combination with two relatively movable parts, of one part constituting a camera body. an annular flange carried by the camera body, an internal thread on the ange. the other part constituting a tubular member including an exterior' threaded portion adapted to engage the internally threaded annuiar camera flange. and projections carried on each end of the tubular camera part adapted to engage walls of the annular nange carried by the camera body for limiting the movement of the tubular member .in two directions.

CARL C. FUIRBT. 

